Tough Moose Meat, HELP!!!!

[bundy]

Need the forums help. Finally got a moose, 2 year old bull according to the outfitter. Shot it at 7:00 a.m. had it quartered and hung on meat pole by 11:00 a.m. Took a nap and then boned it out and put in coolers , packed in ice for the trip back home. Got home 30 hours later, still ice on the meat, next day cut up to roast and steaks, grind meat. The day after that I vac packed all the meat in separate packages. Long story short the meat is tougher than steel!! Any ideas what went wrong or how to cook/grill it? Tried marinating in REVLO only way you can eat it is if you SLOW COOK ALL DAY LONG!  HELP!!!!!!

[Caribou]

Hi Bundy,
I wouldn't take any venison (moose and elk, too) roast or steak past 140-145F internal temp when cooking them. 
Or slow cook it all day long, like you did. :)
Carolyn

[bundy]

Thanks Carolyn, we marinated the back straps in the tumbler and grilled to med rare and you still couldn't chew them...just don't know why it is so tough, you can tell the mussels are just tense.

[KyNola]

Have you ever killed, butchered and tried to cook a moose before or is this your first time?

[bundy]

1st time , have done lots of elk and deer.

[KyNola]

Was just wondering.  I wouldn't begin to know where to start.  We don't have a lot of moose in KY. ;D  The last time someone shot a moose locally here was when he got caught cheating at the card game in the Moose Hall. :) ::)

[Caribou]

Hi Bundy,
Game animals are athletes compared to our farm animals..
They have more connective tissue and denser muscle tissue, too.
A 2 year old moose is young and I would think tender.
Could it be that you just sampled a tougher cut for your first taste?
How long did your moose meat age before freezing it?
We generally hang deer/elk for a week before we process them and have been really pleased if the resulting tenderness of the meat.
wish I could be helpful,
Carolyn

[bundy]

That is probably the problem Carolyn, from hoof to freezer was only about 4 days and then it was on ice the whole time. Don't know if that affects it on not, I even aged some chops in the frig after thawing in the cryvac package for a week, and still like leather!!

Guess we will be eating a lot of hamburger :'( :'( :'(

[Caribou]

I'm sorry to hear that :(
Letting it age in the fridge after defrosting the individual cuts was going to be my suggestion but it sounds like that didn't help.
Maybe trying a papain-based meat tenderizer might help on the steaks.  Adolph's is the one that come to mind :
http://www.lawrys.com/Products/Adolphs/Meat-Tenderizer/Adolphs-Original-Meat-Tenderizer.aspx
Or you can pound the steaks thin with a meat mallet and make chicken-fried steaks.
Carolyn

[NePaSmoKer]

Ya gotta hold your mouth the right way   :P

[pikeman_95]

Bundy
Give this a try. I use this meat needle tenderizer and love it.

http://www.amazon.com/Jaccard-200348-Supertendermatic-48-Blade-Tenderizer/dp/B001347JK6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352338087&sr=8-2&keywords=needle+meat+tenderizer

Take a few steaks and tenderize the crap out of them. I mean start with a steak the is 3/4 inch thick and smash it down until it is about 3/8 inch thick or less. Flip it and hit from every angle. Now dip it in egg and roll it in crushed cracker crumbs. Fry in Olive oil until a nice crust develops on the cracker crumbs. This is just chicken fried steak but using a tenderizer to do your chewing for you. A nice white buckshot gravy is good over the top but we most often skip the gravy.
This is one of my favorite meals.

[bundy]

Thanks Pikeman and all, have tried the Chiken Fried deal and that is the best so far, shame is I have like 300# of this stuff :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

[devo]

My buddies take moose every year and they hang it for at least three days in a controlled environment. If the weather is to warm or to cold it will go to a meat locker. Most times it can be hung in someones garage.

[OU812]

Have you tried to marinade any of that meat with some pineapple, lemon, lime or orange juice?

The acids in the juice will help make it tender

Also the vinegar in Italian dressing will work as a tenderizer

[pikeman_95]

Bundy
Most beef is hung in a cooler for 10 days to age. The time gives the microbs some time to start to break down the protein fibers. But you have already passed that point. How much have you tried the old crock pot. We put a couple inches of beef broth in the pot and cook up some potatoes,carrots and onions with it. In the last hour we dump in a quart of sauerkraut. This is a common meal with our venison. Are you a sausage maker??